The most chronicled band in Rock now has an online site where fans can shift through a good portion of the massive Grateful Dead Archive established by the group at the University Of California Santa Cruz.  The online launch of the Grateful Dead Online Archive coincides with the official unveiling Friday (6/29) of the physical collection on the northern California campus.
The massive collection assembled by archivist Nicholas Meriwether includes tens of thousands of items, including many acquired from fans and occupies a floor of the University's Library.  The initial unveiling provided access to just 200 pieces from the archive that were put on display in a former classroom converted into a gallery one floor below the massive collection of set lists, posters, memorabilia and artifacts relating to the band.
LATimes.com  TheAtlantic.com

Prosecution claims that the personal assistant to U2 bass player Adam Clayton made unauthorized purchases that amounted to a '...veritable orgy of spending' were upheld in the jury decision handed down against Carol Hawkins Friday (6/29).  The 48 year-old former personal assistant to Clayton was convicted on charges that she pilfered upwards of $3.5 million  from Clayton during the period she was employed by him (story).  The unanimous decision was announced by the court about five hours after the jury entered deliberations.  Clayton's statement following the verdict was brief and limited to thanking the jury and others involved in the case.  A sentence is expected to be handed sown by the court within a week.
TheSun.co.uk

A legal fray between Leon Hendrix, the blood brother of Jimi Hendrix, and the licensing entity the late guitarist's sister by adoption runs reached a court settlement that gives Leon Hendrix the right to begin marketing a range of items related to his brother's career as both a musician and artist.  The decision by the US District Court in Seattle ended a two year battle between the siblings that began after Janie Hendrix was left control over the estate following the death of their father.  In anticipation of a favorable outcome, Leon negotiated a joint venture licensing deal with the LaRoda Group and the business he established, Rockin Artwork.  He says the venture allows him to '...begin showing the public the true Jimi, as I knew him in my life and in my heart.'
MarketWire.com
 

Grammy nominations won't be announced for a number of weeks, but the industry organization has revealed that Bruce Springsteen will be honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two days ahead of the annual awards ceremony.  The award, given in recognition of an artist's commitment to charitable causes, will be presented to The Boss at a black-tie event on Feb. 8 in LA. The award was first presented in 1991. Previous winners include Neil Young, Paul McCartney and David Crosby.
Hollywood Reporter

Members of Triumph considered their first concert together in two decades so strong that the Canadian group has decided to share it with fans.  A CD and DVD recorded during the reunion set Ric Emmett, Mike Levine and Gil Moore performed on June 7 at the Sweden Rock Festival is slated for release August 27.  Keyboard and bass player Levine describes it as '...certainly one of the most memorable performances of our entire career'.  The ten song set includes fan favorites Lay It On The Line, Magic Power, Fight The Good Fight and a version of Rocky Mountain Way.
HenneMusic.com

What could have become a nightmare for three family members from California visiting Ireland had happy outcome thanks to The Edge.  The U2 guitarist was evidently passing the Killney Dart train station Wednesday (6/27) when he noticed an unattended backpack. Closer examination of the bag revealed a tag with the address of the hotel its owner was headed for. He contacted the hotel and to let them know he would arrange to have it delivered and requested that they notify the owner that the bag, which contained passports, was safe.  The bag was delivered with its contents in tact - and an autographed U2 CD with the message 'Hope your journey ends well'.
Independent.ie

Orchard Lake, Michigan police announced that a 20 year-old man turned himself in and was charged Tuesday (6/26) in connection with the theft of items from the home of Bob Seger (story).  Andrew Thompson was charged with a count of felony larceny before being freed on bond.  Thompson had attended a party the singer's 16 year-old daughter threw at the house while Seger was on tour.  While Thompson admitted to police that he was responsible for taking several items that turned up missing, he denied being the one who made off with the most valuable item - Seger's 1978 Gibson Les Paul.  The prized instrument was dropped off anonymously on the family's lake front dock last month.  Among the items recovered after the arrest of Thompson was an autographed Shaquille O'Neal sneaker.
DetroitNews.com

Van Morrison will release Born to Sing: No Plan B on October 2.  The 10 track release finds Morrison back on Blue Note, a label he last released new material through nearly a decade ago with the album What's Wrong With This Picture?.  The Irish singer hopes the association with Blue Note and Don Was will one that lasts, saying that having, '...such a creative music person as the head of my recording label assures me that all the effort taken to write and record this new album will be rewarded with a music-based focus and marketing approach.'
PasteMagazine.com

Steven Tyler says the new Aerosmith album is being put on hold for another two months.  Talking with WMMS in Cleveland, the front man claimed that the decision was made so that his group would not '...step on' the release dates of other artists planning album releases in late August.  Sounds like a smoke screen to us.  Other than Lynyrd Skynyrd (8/21) and Mark Knopfler (9/4), there isn't a Rock release scheduled during the weeks surrounding the original date Music From Another Dimension was supposed to drop.  Could it be that fans were so under whelmed by Legendary Child, the pre-release single from the album, that the group is second guessing the other songs on it? No, according to Tyler, who says 'We've got the goods. Ain't no doubt about it.' We'll have to wait until Nov. 6 to verify that claim. 
VintageVinylNews

Fans catching Tom Petty in Amsterdam over the weekend got an added treat when Eddie Vedder bounded on stage to do vocals during the Heartbreakers performances of The Waiting and American Girl
 

The plan to stage a series of South American concerts featuring members of Def Leppard, KISS, Deep Purple and others unraveled before the tour got underway but not before a venue in Venezuela says it forked over nearly $300,000 for its date - money the organizers of the Caracas concert claim the promoter has failed to refund.  The tour, which was to include Gene Simmons of KISS, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple and Black Country Communion, Def Leppard's Joe Elliott and former Skid Row front man Sebastian Bach, had been slated to make nine stops.
ClassicRockMagazine.com

Promoters staging an Ozzy & Friends concert in Mannheim, Germany Wednesday (5/20) were left with just the Friends when Ozzy Osbourne decided minutes before the set was scheduled to start that 'vocal issues' would prevent him from being able to perform.  He broke the news after opening act Black Label Society had left the stage. The literally last minute decision by Ozzy left promoters and SAP Arena officials scrambling to figure out how to compensate fans.  An announcement was made advising them to check the venue web site for refund information.
NME.com

Felony charges have been filed against the former Chief Financial Officer of Curtis Management, the firm that handles Pearl Jam.  Rickey Charles Goodrich is charged with enriching himself to the tune of $380k in the months leading up to his late 2010 termination by Curtis.  King County Washington prosecutors entered a total of 33 counts of first or second degree theft against Goodrich, who they claim used the funds to cover debts he and his wife had accumulated.  He is also accused of unauthorized use of credit cards assigned to the band for his own benefit.
SeattlePI.com

Republican convention planners think having a Rocker that backed Barack Obama in the last Presidential race play when delegates gather in Tampa might bring some of his fans into the Mitt Romney camp too.  Politico reports that Kid Rock will Rock the party faithful at the party convention in Florida  The Motor City Rocker is scheduled to take the stage at Liberty Plaza August 29 for the 'Wheels Up' celebration closing the gathering. An additional 'major act' for that night will be announced soon.  Lynyrd Skynyrd will entertain delegates and fans August 26 and Country star Trace Adkins makes an appearance August 28.  Even though expenses appear to be offset by deep pocketed sponsors, party organizers hope the concert appearances will raise a good chunk of change for various veterans programs, including the Wounded Warrior Project.  A special package including tickets to all three concerts and seating in an air-conditioned suite will set you back $10,000.
Politico.com

Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary tour plans have been under consideration for some time, but nothing firm has been announced and each scenario attributed to an inside source has been quickly shot down by a genuine band rep.  The latest claim to be axed by the group was a report that a tour would launch in the fall and end with an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK next summer.  A headline spot at Glastonbury would be a logical setting for the Stones to stage a grand finale.  The three day event during the June weekend that falls closest to the Summer solstice is widely considered to be the best open air concert in the world.  But this is the Rolling Stones - so a possibly last live performance ever is much more likely to be a stand alone event created with just the group and its fans in mind.
 

Bob Seger broke into a tune perfect for the occasion - Turn The Page - for those assembled in New York to witness his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday (6/14). The song he wrote in 1973 became a road warrior's anthem when his Live Bullet double album came out a few years later.  Seger told his audience that writing strong songs continues to be a struggle and a challenge, but says the satisfaction of coming up with a great tune makes it worth the effort.
Bette Midler and Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot were also inducted into the Hall. Stevie Nicks was on hand to present Bette with the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the Devine Miss M being among the '...pioneers in their craft' that '...inspired the musical community'.  The soft-spoken Lightfoot sang If You Could Read My Mind when his turn in the spotlight came around.
BBC.co.uk

Vinnie 'Mad Dog' Lopez spent time as the drummer in the early years of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.  He still plays in a group called License to Chill, but this week he will be 'on the bag' instead of on the drums. Lopez is the caddy for golfer Mark McCormick, who qualified for one of four open spots in the US Open, being held at the Olympic Club near San Francisco. Lopez, who claims he left the E Street Band because he '...didn't blindly follow Bruce' (The Boss may have different account of how and why was replaced), says he still hears from Bruce '...when he needs me' (ditto the previous qualifier), has quite a bit of experience as a caddy and is thrilled at the prospect of being on one of the biggest stages in golf.
Golf.com

Musician Joe Walsh has issued a statement of support of Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois candidate seeking to oust ultra conservative Joe Walsh from his Congressional seat.  Without bashing her opponent, the Eagles and James Gang veteran guitarist commended Duckworth for being the candidate whose '...service to our nation and her continued commitment to working families (like the one I come from) have convinced me that she's the right choice for Congress.'  The musician Walsh is a native of Evanston, IL and plans to do a campaign benefit concert for his candidate July 1 in Schaumburg, IL.
NBCChicago.com

The London Olympic Committee has gotten Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey to commit to performing during the closing ceremony of the summer games.  The stadium performance of a medley of Who classics will close the games on Sunday, August 12.  Previous efforts to get the Rolling Stones to agree to an appearance fell flat, as did a pitch to get Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to reunite for the opening or closing ceremony.  Sir Paul will do a set during the opening ceremony

Bob Welch, a guitar playing member of Fleetwood Mac in the early 1970's, apparently took his own life in his Nashville home Thursday (6/7).  Police say the 65 year-old Welch, who had been dealing with health issues in recent years, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. After parting with Fleetwood Mac in 1974, Welch released some music on his own and with the group Paris.  His best known tunes were Sentimental Lady (1977), which Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie contributed background vocals to, and the following year's Ebony Eyes.
 

The charitable foundation guitarist Carlos Santana set up to help provide funding to help under served children recently reached the $5 million dollar mark in community based grants.  Milagro means miracle, and the funding the Milagro Foundation has passed along has provided with both essential and artistic program support in schools through donations collected from concert tickets, the sale of Santana merchandise and contributions from fans.  The foundation will get a boost from the San Francisco Giants when the team hosts the Dodgers on September 8 at AT&T Park.  The guitarist will also perform at a fund raising event October 10 in New York to honor Paul Farmer of Partners In Health for the work his organization has done to assist in the battle to save children in Haiti.
PRNewswire
 

Levon Helm was raised in Arkansas, but the late drummer for the Band spent most of his life in and around the Woodstock, New York area.  Members of his most recent group performed in tribute to Levon just a few exits down the road at Mountain Jam, the annual music festival that Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule helps put together.  A stage packed with musicians and the tens of thousands of fans spread across the site at the base of Hunter Mountain raised their voices to honor Helm with a heart felt rendition of The Weight. (For song only, cue to 3:30)

 

Hud Mellencamp fought his way to becoming one of the top Golden Gloves boxers in the state of Indiana (story). Come fall, he is expected to trade putting up his dukes for putting on pads for the Duke football program.  CBS Sports is reporting that the Hoosier ring standout will make a bid to be a walk-on defensive back for the Carolina squad.

Fans left cold by No Line On The Horizon and other recent studio efforts from U2 might have something to look forward to. Bono claims recent studio sessions the band has done have produced the most rewarding stuff the group has come up with since 1979. He and other members of Ireland's biggest Rock band have acknowledged that recent efforts have fallen flat with a lot of long term fans and say the members all share the conviction that the next album has to, as the lead singer puts it, be '...something very special' for the group '...to have a reason to exist'.
NME.co.uk